Despite the loss of $2.7 million in State aid, there will be no tuition increase at Suffolk County Community College according to the budget adopted by the College’s Board of Trustees on Thursday.
The Board adopted a $206 million College operating budget at its monthly meeting for the 2020-21 academic year that includes no tuition increase and represents an $8.2 million reduction in expenses from 2019-20.
“Promoting affordability for our students in the face of rising costs, job losses, a faltering economy and uncertainty has not been easy. Our goal has been and remains to maintain affordability and grow the quality of our academic programs, invest in the future, and continue to serve as a premier provider of higher education and workforce training and programs,” said Suffolk County Community College Board Chair E. Christopher Murray. “These goals have been and continue to be top priorities for this Board of Trustees.”
College Board of Trustees Budget and Finance Chair Kevin M. O’Connor explained that a series of fiscal belt-tightening initiatives were implemented including overtime reductions, staff reductions through attrition and not filling vacant lines. O’Connor also said the college would utilize $7 million of reserves to head off any tuition increase.
“The board’s plan preserves the college’s core mission of delivering a high-quality, affordable education to students by implementing spending reductions college wide,” O’Connor said. “Raising tuition at this moment would not be in the best interest of our students and the community we serve.”
O’Connor said institutional costs were targeted, including utilities, business travel, plant operations and maintenance and other consumables to achieve costs savings.
“Keeping college affordable is among our highest priorities,” said Interim College President Louis Petrizzo, “the board has adopted a budget that puts our students’ needs first. This is the time to use reserve funds and they will serve as a bridge to the economic recovery.”
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